Nanostructured Lithium Nickel Manganese Oxides for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Nanostructured lithium nickel manganese oxides were investigated as advanced positive electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries designated to power plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and all-electric vehicles. The investigation included material characterization and electrochemical testing. In cell tests, the composition achieved high capacity at an elevated rate , which makes this material a promising candidate for high energy density Li-ion batteries, as does its being cobalt-free and uncoated. The material has spherical morphology with nanoprimary particles embedded in micrometer-sized secondary particles, possesses a multiphase character (spinel and layered), and exhibits a high packing density (over ) that is essential for the design of high energy density positive electrodes. When combined with the stable anode, the cell showed a capacity of at the C/3 rate with no capacity fading for 200 cycles. Other chemical compositions, , were also studied, and the relationships among their structural, morphological, and electrochemical properties are reported.